Wire-stranding machines



Se t. 23, 1969 v o. s. GOODFELLOW ET AL 3,463,115

WIRE-STRANDING MACHINES Filed April 5. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l lnvenlor A O SYDNEY awoFflw IAN DAVID GlLbEhnsow By q y p 23, 1969 n. s. GOODFELLOW ET AL 3,468,115

WIRE-STRANDING MACHINES Filed April 5. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i u U: 5 i ii i1 11 Inventor DAVID SYDNEY GOQDFFIJW AN UAW/D G1LBE/W50M B mm; IM {8 -11% Law! Attorney United States Patent 3,468,115 WIRE-STRANDING MACHINES David Sydney Goodfellow, Nesscliife, near Shrewsbury, and Ian David Gilbertson, Gosport, England, assignors to British Insulated Callenders Cables Limited, London, England Filed Apr. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 719,127 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 7, 1967, 15,993/67 Int. Cl. D01h 9/02 U.S. Cl. 5752 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In unloading and loading a wire-stranding or wirearmouring machine of the kind in which the wires are drawn off from bobbins rotatably supported on cantilevered arbors which are carried on a frame rotating about the machine axis and which, as the frame rotates, are successively each brought into a dependent position, full bobbins are moved in an upended position by conveyor to a loading station for the frame. Means is located at the loading station movable in a rectilinear path parallel to the bobbin axes for lowering an empty bobbin from a dependent arbor on the frame onto the conveyor and for raising a full bobbin from the conveyor onto the dependent arbor. Conveying means is also provided for moving empty bobbins from the loading station for rewinding with wire.

This invention relates to wire-stranding machines and wire-armouring machines of the kind in which the wires are drawn off from bobbins which are rotatably supported on cantilevered arbors which are carried on a frame (or on each of a plurality of frames) which rotates about the machine axis and which, as the (or each) frame rotates, are successively each brought into a dependent position. Wire-stranding and wire-armouring machines of this kind will, for convenience, hereinafter be referred to as machines of the kind described. During operation of a machine of the kind described each bobbin is retained on its arbor by a releasable locking device but can be withdrawn when its arbor is in a dependent position by releasing the locking device. The arbors may for instance be arranged on the or each frame in groups of three with their respective axes 120 apart and lying in a plane normal to the machine axis. There may be any number of groups at intervals along the machine axis. The present invention is concerned with means for loading a machine of the kind described with full bobbins and for removing empty bobbins from the machine by means of a bobbin hoisting device.

By the present invention we provide improved methods of and apparatus for facilitating the unloading and loading of wire-stranding and wire-armouring machines of the kind described.

In accordance with our invention a frame of the machine is rotated until one of the group of cantilevered arbors carried thereby is in a dependent position, a full bobbin is moved in an upended position by conveyor to a loading station for the frame, when necessary an empty bobbin is released from the dependent arbor, is lowered in a rectilinear path parallel to the bobbin axis onto the conveyor and is moved from beneath the dependent arbor, the full bobbin is moved beneath the dependent arbor and is raised in a rectilinear path parallel to its axis from the conveyor onto the dependent arbor, the empty bobbin is moved by conveyor from the loading station for rewinding with wire, and the frame is rotated until, in turn, each of the remaining arbors of the group of arbors is in a dependent position and the unloading and loading operations are repeated.

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The apparatus according to the invention comprises means for conveying full bobbins in an upended position to a loading station for a bobbin-carrying frame of the machine, means located at the loading station and movable in a rectilinear path parallel to the bobbin axes for lowering an empty bobbin from a dependent arbor on the frame onto the conveying means and for raising a full bobbin from the conveying means onto the dependent arbor, and means for conveying empty bobbins from the loading station for rewinding with wire.

Movement of full bobbins to the loading station and movement of empty bobbins from the loading station is preferably effected by a single conveyor system but, if desired, a separate conveyor system may be used for moving the empty bobbins.

The or each conveyor system may comprise a belt type of conveyor or a chain type of conveyor. In both cases the conveyor will be designed to move the bobbins in their upended position. The means for transferring bobbins between their arbors and the conveyor preferably comprises one or more hydraulic or pneumatic rams which work in cylinders below the level of the conveyor and which or each of which carries at its upper end a support for the bobbin. In some cases a pair of rams may be used disposed one on each side of the conveyor and engaging the bottom flange of a bobbin on diametrically opposite sides. In other cases a single ram may be used working in a cylinder directly beneath a conveyor which at least in the region of the loading station is of open form through which the ram may project. In such case the upper end of the ram forms or carries a table on which the lower flange of a bobbin may be seated.

The location of the conveyor and of the means for transferring bobbins between the conveyor and the arbors on which they will be mounted will to some extent depend upon the form of the stranding machine or armouring machine.

In one arrangement suitable for use with wire-armouring machines of the kind in Which the bobbins are carried on cantilevered arbors extending outwards in directions radial to the machine axis, the conveyor system for moving bobbins to and from each loading station runs beneath the central axis of the machine Where the nature of the stranding or armouring machine does not lend itself to such a location of the conveyor system, as is the case where the arbors are tangential to a cylinder whose axis is coincident with the machine axis, we may arrange for bobbins to be fed to each loading station by a conveyor system which runs alongside the stranding machine or armouring machine but is interrupted opposite the loading station for each group of arbors to leave a gap which is bridged by a conveyor which forms a separable part of the conveyor system and is capable accommodating a number of bobbins, for example four or five. Each of these bridging conveyors is movable, in a direction normal to its length, towards the machine axis to bring it into alignment with the loading station in order that the bobbins accommodated on the bridging conveyor can be moved beneath each arbor as it assumes a dependent position above the bridging conveyor. Movement of the bridging conveyor in a direction normal to its length is preferably controlled by pneumatic or hydraulic means but it may be controlled by a motor driven rack and pinion arrangement.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood and readily put into practice our preferred apparatus for facilitating the unloading and loading of a wire-stranding machine of the kind described will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmental diagrammatic plan view of the machine and bobbin-loading and unloading apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmental diagrammatic sectional view of the machine and apparatus taken on the line IIII in FIGURE 1, drawn to a larger scale;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental plan view of the bobbinloading and -unloading apparatus drawn on a still larger scale, and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 3.

The wire-stranding machine is of a conventional form and comprises a central tubular rotor shaft 1 which is rotatably supported in pedestal bearings (not shown) and which carries at intervals along its length a number of bobbin support frames 2. Each frame 2, of which one only is shown in FIGURE 2, has three radially projecting support arms 3 spaced 120 apart and each arm carries at its free end a cantilevered arbor 4 for the reception of a wire-carrying bobbin 5. Each cantilevered arbor 4 of the frame 2 has its axis tangential to a circle concentric with the shaft 1 and all three arbors have their axes 120 apart and lying in a plane normal to the axis of the shaft. The arbor support arms 3 on each frame 2 are angularly displaced 60 relative to those on the or each adjacent frame.

Running alongside the stranding machine is a conveyor system which is interrupted opposite the loading sta tion 11 for each bobbin support frame 2 to leave a gap which is bridged by a conveyor 12 capable of accommodating a limited number of bobbins which number will depend upon the number of bobbins carried by a frame and the method of unloading and loading being employed. Each bridging conveyor 12 is movable, in a direction normal to its length, towards the axis of the machine to bring it into alignment with its respective loading station 11 in order that a bobbin 14 accommodated on the bridging conveyor can be moved beneath each arbor 4 as it assumes a dependent position above the bridging conveyor with its axis substantially vertical. In moving towards the machine axis the bridging conveyor 12 is brought into a lateral recess in the base frame 8 of the machine and over a loading ram 16 working in a cylinder 17 in the recess and below floor level and in alignment with each arbor 4 as it assumes a vertical position above the recess.

As will be seen on referring to FIGURES 3 and 4 each bridging conveyor 12 comprises a pair of laterally spaced endless chains 20 carrying catches 21 for engaging the rim portion of the bottom flange of the bobbins 14, the spacing of the two chains sufi'icing to allow the loading ram 16 and a bobbin support table 18 (FIGURE 2) carried by the ram to pass between them. Each section of the conveyor system 10 is of similar construction. The endless chains 20 of the bridging conveyor 12 are driven by a motor 23 and gear box 24 through suitable reduction gearing 25. Alternatively the chains 20 may be driven by a motor mounted on the bridging conveyor. The bridging conveyor 12 is constrained to move in a direction normal to its length by two pairs of guide rollers at each end of the conveyor which engage a pair of transversely extending guide bars 30, the pairs of rollers 27 having their axes parallel to the axis of the machine and running on the upper surfaces of the guide bars and the other pairs of rollers 28 having their axes vertical and run ning on side faces of the guide bars. Transverse movement of the bridging conveyor 12 in a direction normal to the machine axis is controlled by a pneumatic cylinder 32 whose piston 33 is coupled to the bridging conveyor for drawing the conveyor towards, or urging it away from, the loading station 11.

During operation of the stranding machine full bobbins 14 may be loaded on the conveyor system 10 and stored in appropriate numbers either all before the first of the series of bridging conveyors 12 is reached or the requisite number may be stored on the conveyor system 10 immediately to the rear of each bridging conveyor. When reloading of the machine becomes necessary, the machine is stopped to bring one arbor 4 on alternate frames 2 into a vertically dependent position above its loading ram 16. Each of those alternate frames is then unloaded and loaded separately by shuttling its associated bridging conveyor 12 into a position in which it lies over the associated loading ram 16. The ram 16 is raised through the conveyor 12 to take the weight of the empty or near empty reel 5 as the reel is released from its arbor 4 and the ram is lowered to place the empty reel on the bridging conveyor which then shuttles back into the gap in the conveyor system 10 and off-loads the empty bobbin onto the conveyor system by moving the conveyor 12 forward. At the same time a full bobbin 14 has been moved from the conveyor system 10 onto the bridging conveyor 12 in the place previously occupied by the empty bobbin 5. The bridging conveyor 12 is now shuttled into the loading station 11 whereupon the ram 16 moves up to lift the full bobbin 14 onto the empty arbor 4. When the full bobbin 14 is locked on the arbor 4 the ram 16 is lowered, the bridging conveyor 12 is shuttled back into the gap in the conveyor system 10 and the shaft 1 of the machine is rotated through to bring the next arbor on the frame 2 into a vertically dependent position and the cycle of operations is repeated for each arbor of the frame. Each of the other alternate frames is then unloaded and loaded separately in a similar manner. With this arrange.- ment interlocks are provided between the pneumatic cylinder 32 controlling the shuttle movement of a bridging conveyor 12, the cylinder 17 controlling the lifting ram 16 and the motor driving the machine to ensure that the bobbin carrying frames 2 cannot rotate whilst a bridging conveyor is shuttled in and the ram elevated.

If desired the bridging conveyors 12 and rams 16 associated with alternate frames 2 of the machine may be interconnected so that two or more alternate frames of the machine can be unloaded and loaded simultaneously.

Instead of discharging empty bobbins on to the fullbobbin feed conveyor system 10, another conveyor system (not shown) may be provided alongside the first with gaps in register with those in the first conveyor system. The bridging conveyor 12 on which an empty bobbin 5 has been placed by the ram 16 can be shuttled into line with this other conveyor system and the bobbin off-loaded on to it, the bridging conveyor can then be shuttled into line with the full bobbin feed conveyor system 10 whilst a full bobbin 14 is discharged on to it, after which it will be shuttled in towards the machine to bring it into line with the loading ram.

Alternatively where there is sufiicient clearance between the bobbin-carrying frames and their associated bridging conveyors to rotate the rotor of the machine whilst the bridging conveyors loaded with several bobbins are in the shuttled-in position each bridging conveyor may have storage accommodation for (2114-1) bobbins, where n is the number of bobbins in the group at that station. n full bobbins can then be loaded on to the rear end of the bridging conveyor, the conveyor then shuttled-in, the first empty bobbin ofiY-loaded on to it, the conveyor moved forward until the first full bobbin is over the load ing ram, the ram raised to load that bobbin, the machine rotated through 360/n to bring the next empty bobbin into its off-loading position, the ram raised to off-load it on to the conveyor to take the place of the first full bobbin, and so on until all bobbins have been changed, following which the bridging conveyor can be shuttled out to discharge its empty bobbins on to a conveyor system and to permit of it being reloaded with 11 full bobbins. It will be appreciated that in the stranding machine described with each bobbin support frame carrying three bobbins, with this arrangement the bridging conveyor associated with each frame would have storage accommodation for seven bobbins, three full bobbins being initially located in the three trailing bobbin positions on the conveyor.

In another arrangement which may be used where there is not sufiicient clearance to rotate the machine whilst bridging conveyors loaded with several bobbins are in the shuttled-in position, loading and unloading of the bobbins is arranged to take place whilst the arbors are in a dependent but inclined position, for instance at an angle of 30 to the vertical. In this case the loading ram is set at the same angle and the conveyor at the loading station runs alongside the machine with its bobbin-supporting surfaces at right angles to, and its longitudinal axis intersecting, the ram axis. As in the other arrangements described those sections of the conveyor in the vicinities of the loading stations are of open form to permit the loading rams to pass through them. Empty bobbins offloaded on to this conveyor can be returned to the wiredrawing machines for rewinding by means of an extension of the conveyor which runs in a loop around the end of the machine and thence alongside the back of the machine.

The unlatching of the bobbins on their arbors is preferably effected automatically as the loading ram moves up to the bobbin in the discharge position.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A method of facilitating the unloading and loading of a wire-stranding or wire-amouring machine of the kind in which the wires are drawn off from bobbins rotatably supported on cantilevered arbors which are carried on at least one frame that rotates about the machine axis and which, as the frame rotates, are successively each brought into a dependent position, which method comprises the steps of:

(a) rotating a frame of the machine until one of the cantilevered arbors carried thereby is in a dependent position,

(b) moving a full bobbin in an upended position by conveyor to a loading station for the frame,

(c) when necessary releasing an empty bobbin from the dependent arbor, lowering the empty bobbin in a rectilinear path parallel to the bobbin axis onto the conveyor and moving it from beneath the dependent arbor,

(d) moving the full bobbin beneath the dependent arbor and raising the full bobbin in a rectilinear path parallel to its axis from the conveyor onto the dependent arbor,

(e) moving the empty bobbin by conveyor from the loading station for rewinding with wire, and

(f) for each, in turn, of the remaining arbors carried by the frame repeating steps (a) to (e).

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein full bobbins are moved in an upended position by conveyor alongside the machine in a direction substantially parallel to the machine axis and a full bobbin is transferred from the conveyor to a second conveyor by which it is moved in a direction normal to the machine axis to the loading station for the frame.

3. A method of facilitating the unloading and loading of a wire-stranding or wire-armouring machine of the kind in which the wires are drawn off from bobbins rotatably supported on cantilevered arbors which are carried on at least one frame that rotates about the machine axis and which, as the frame rotates, are successively each brought into a dependent position, which method comprises the steps of:

(a) moving full bobbins in an upended position by a conveyor system alongside the machine in a direction substantially parallel to the machine axis,

(b) rotating a frame of the machine until one of the cantilevered arbors carried thereby is in a dependent position,

(c) moving a conveyor which bridges a gap in and forms a separable part of the conveyor system in a direction normal to its length to a loading station for the frame,

(d) when necessary releasing an empty bobbin from the dependent arbor and lowering it in a rectilinear path parallel to the bobbin axis onto the bridging conveyor,

(e) moving the bridging conveyor with the empty bobbin thereon in a direction normal to its length to bridge the gap in the conveyor system,

(f) transferring the empty bobbin onto the conveyor system which moves it from the machine for rewinding with wire,

(g) transferring a full bobbin from the conveyor system to the bridging conveyor,

(h) moving the bridging conveyor with the full bobbin thereon in a direction normal to its length to the loading station,

(i) raising the full bobbin in a rectilinear path parallel to its axis from the bridging conveyor onto the dependent arbor, and

(j) for each, in turn, of the remaining arbors carried by the frame repeating steps (b) to (i).

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which the frame carries it cantilevered arbors, wherein before moving the bridging conveyor to the loading station n full bobbins are transferred from the conveyor system to the bridging conveyor, the bridging conveyor being adapted to accommodate (2n+l) bobbins, an empty bobbin is released from the dependent arbor onto the bridging conveyor, the bridging conveyor is moved forward until the leading full bobbin is beneath the dependent arbor and the full bobbin is raised onto the arbor, and for each, in turn, of the remaining arbors carried by the frame the operations of rotating the frame until the arbor is in a dependent position, unloading, moving forward of the bridging conveyor and loading are repeated, and finally the bridging conveyor with n empty bobbins thereon is moved to bridge the gap in the conveyor system and the empty bobbins are transferred onto the conveyor system.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arbors of at least two bobbin-supporting frames are unloaded and loaded simultaneously.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an empty bobbin is lowered from the dependent arbor and a full bobbin is raised onto the dependent arbor by at least one ram working in a cylinder below the level of the conveyor at the loading station and carrying at its upper end a bobbin support.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bobbins are conveyed with their axes substantially vertical and the frame is rotated until an arbor is in a dependent position with its axis substantially vertical.

8. Apparatus for facilitating the unloading and loading of a wire-stranding or wire-armouring machine of the kind in which the wires are drawn off from bobbins rotatably supported on cantilevered arbors which are carried on at least one frame that rotates about the machine axis and which, as the frame rotates, are successively each brought into a dependent position, which apparatus comprises:

(a) means for conveying full bobbins in an upended position to a loading station for a bobbin-carrying frame of the machine,

(b) means located at the loading station movable in a rectilinear path parallel to the bobbin axes for lowering an empty bobbin from a dependent arbor on the frame onto the conveying means and for raising a full bobbin from the conveying means onto the dependent arbor, and

(c) means for conveying empty bobbins from the loading station for rewinding with wire.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bobbin lowering and raising means comprises at least one cylinder below the level of the conveying means at the loading station, a ram working in said cylinder, and a bobbin support carried at the upper end of the ram.

10. Apparatus for facilitating the unloading and loading of a wire-stranding or wire-armouring machine of the kind in which the wires are drawn oif from bobbins rotatably supported on cantilevered arbors which are carried on at least one frame that rotates about the machine axis and which, as the frame rotates, are successive- 1y each brought into a dependent position, which apparatus comprises:

(a) a conveyor system extending alongside the machine for moving full bobbins in an upended position in a direction substantially parallel to the machine axis,

(b) a conveyor which bridges a gap in and forms a separable part of said conveyor system,

(c) means for moving the bridging conveyor in a direction normal to its length to a loading station for a bobbin-carrying frame of the machine,

(d) at least one cylinder located below the level of the bridging conveyor at the loading station, a ram working in said cylinder and movable in a rectilinear path parallel to the bobbin axes and a bobbin support carried at the upper end of the ram, the ram being adapted to lower an empty bobbin from a dependent arbor on the frame onto the bridging conveyor and to raise a full bobbin from the bridging conveyor onto the dependent arbor, and

(e) means for conveying empty bobbins transferred from the bridging conveyor from the machine for rewinding with wire.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bridging conveyor is adapted to have accommodation for (2n+1) bobbins, where n is the number of arbors carried by the frame with which the bridging conveyor is associated.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the means for conveying empty bobbins from the machine comprises a part of the conveyor system.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bridging conveyor is constrained to move in a direction normal to its length by guide rollers at each end of the conveyor which engage a pair of transversely extending tracks.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least in the region of the loading station the bridging conveyor is of open form and a single ram projects through the conveyor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,451,754 10/ 1948 Larrnuth et a1 57-54 3,055,164 9/ 1962 Lutcke 57--58.34 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 1,008,023 3/ 1952 France.

JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 57-156, 58.34 

